If you're afraid of developing gout and want to try and prevent getting infected with this ancient condition, then you should know about some common gout symptom risk factors. Signs of this form of arthritis come in many guises. Keep reading to discover 9 risk indicators that can increase your chances of developing gout.
Gout is most common in men ages 40-50. But it can also affect post-menopausal women and people who suffer from:
- disease of the kidneys
- history of obesity
- diabetes
- hardened arteries (otherwise known as hyperlipidemia)
- elevated blood pressure,
or those who've had an organ transplant.
One of the most common risk factors for developing a gout symptom is history of the disease in the family. Over 18% of people with the disease have said that they have a family history with it. This is usually due to conditions such as weaker organs (like kidneys) being passed down from generation to generation, and/or high purine foods in family meals passed down through the generations.
Other signals for gout you should watch out for are:
- exposure to lead
- lost of alcohol intake, which leads to high levels of uric acid in your bloodstream
- defective enzymes that prevent your body from breaking up the purines that cause the gout pain
The first sign of a gout symptom will be when you wake up with a swollen, shiny, red and throbbing joint, which is usually the big toe. If you don't treat it, the pain will get worse until you find it unbearable to wear a sock or have a bed sheet touch the joint. In addition, future gout outbreaks will last longer, occur more frequently, and even spread to other joints like knees, elbows, and ankles.
If these gout symptom risk factors lead to a gout attack, the easiest thing you can do is take Motrin, Advil, or Aleve (or anything else with ibuprofen or naproxen as an active ingredient). Or you can numb the pain by pressing an ice pack or a hot, floppy water bottle against the joint. The sooner you seek treatment, the better.
